Beef Kefta Kabobs
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In various cuisines around the world such as Moroccan, Greek and Middle Eastern, kefta simply means ground meat or lamb, flavored with onion and seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices such as cinnamon, mint, cumin, coriander and parsley. For these kabobs, I stuffed the kefta meat into baby bell peppers and threaded them onto skewers along with veggies. (as opposed to the more traditional log shape). Simple, fun to make and [b]YUM![/b][br][br][b]Yield:[/b] about 4 servings (about 2 kabobs each)
Ingredients
- Kefta Mixture
- 1 pound lean ground beef (or ground lamb or turkey)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (or 2 shallots)
- 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried mint or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Kabobs
- 16 ounces miniature bell peppers, tops cut off, membranes and seeds removed
- 1 pint baby portabella mushrooms
- 1 large onion, cut into chunks
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil for brushing
- Metal or wooden skewers
- [b]Note:[/b] for wooden skewers, soak in water for 20 minutes to prevent burning.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef with onion, garlic and all dry spices.
- Stuff each miniature bell pepper with kefta mixture, packing down tightly with a small spoon.
- Thread kabobs with stuffed peppers, (skewering through peppers top to bottom) mushrooms, onion and tomatoes. Brush skewers lightly with olive oil.
- Heat grill to medium-high setting. Grill kabobs for 7 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until vegetables are slightly charred and internal temperature of the ground meat reaches 160-165 degrees F. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
[b]Make Ahead and Storage Tips:[/b] kefta mixture can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until time to assemble kabobs. To reheat leftovers, remove stuffed peppers and veggies from skewers; heat in a covered baking dish at 325 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until hot. Freezing is not recommended.[br][br][b]Meatball alternative:[/b] kefta meat can be formed into 1- inch meatballs and threaded on skewers. (which you can also do if you have extra meat mixture) [br][b][br]Have fun switching up your veggies! [/b]Take advantage of favorites that are available locally such as eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash.[br][br][b]Kefta kabobs would make a fabulous “mezze” (small plates) choice for parties! [/b]For “minis,” thread the stuffed peppers and veggies onto small skewers. Delicious served with [url href=”https://mealplanmaven.com/blog/mediterranean-couscous/” target=”_blank”]Mediterranean Couscous[/url], pita and the classic Greek dip, [url href=”https://mealplanmaven.com/recipes/tzatziki/” target=”_blank”]Tzatziki[/url].[br][br][b]Have a blast “kabob-ing it this summer![/b] [url href=”https://mealplanmaven.com/recipes/herbed-salmon-n-tomato-kabobs/” target=”_blank”]Herbed Salmon and Tomato Kabobs[/url], [url href=”https://mealplanmaven.com/recipes/easiest-veggie-kabobs/” target=”_blank”]Easiest Veggie Kabobs[/url], [url href=”https://mealplanmaven.com/recipes/chicken-n-veggie-souvlaki/” target=”_blank”]Chicken ‘n Veggie Souvlaki[/url] and [url href=”https://mealplanmaven.com/recipes/mini-fruit-kabobs-chunky-strawberry-yogurt-dip/” target=”_blank”]Mini Fruit Kabobs with Chunky Strawberry Yogurt Dip[/url] are some of our family’s favorites!
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